Category: europlanet-people

Europlanet Teams Day – 7 May

April 18, 2025

Europlanet Teams Day

Wednesday 7 May at 11.00 – 15.30 CEST, Online


Join us online on 7 May for Europlanet Teams Day, a space to explore the different ways people contribute to Europlanet, how to be more involved, and what Europlanet can do for you. Themed around fast-paced, interactive activities and breakout sessions with our regional hubs and thematic committees and working groups, Europlanet Teams Day aims to get the community talking and working together.

Come and learn more about the bodies that make up the Europlanet community and where you fit into them.

Our agenda for the day will be released shortly.

Join the conversation and register here >>

Welcome to New Chair of Central Europe Hub

April 17, 2025

Welcome to New Chair of Central Europe Hub

Akos Kereszturi has taken up the role of Chair of the Europlanet Central Europe Hub from Andrea Opitz. Many thanks to Akos for taking this role and to Andrea for her efforts over recent years.

Ákos Kereszturi, Chair of the Europlanet Central Europe Hub.
Ákos Kereszturi, Chair of the Central Europe Hub

Akos Kereszturi (DSc) is a planetary geologist in Hungary. His main fields of research are surface analysis of Mars, Moon, Venus, asteroids and other bodies, laboratory analysis of meteorites, and various astrobiology related topics, especially on the occurrence of liquid water and estimation of habitability. He is also working on Mars analogue field sites, and on the planning of robotic missions, contributing in the Comet Interceptor, Franklin Rosalind ExoMars rover, and HERA missions. He has worked as the ESPC Scientific Organising Committee (SOC) co-chair and will finish his term at the EPSC-DPS Joint Meeting .

Akos is leading the Astrophysical and Geochemical Laboratory at his home institute, fusing astronomy, geology, geochemistry and geography aspects, and teaching at the Eotvos Lorand University of Sciences in Budapest, as well as doing outreach and popularisation works as the president of the Hungarian Astronomical Association. He is deeply interested in to support East-European planetary science communities and activities, including to establish connections toward western institutes and ESA in various aspects exploiting funding possibilities.

Europlanet Executive Office – Invitation to Tender

March 13, 2025

Europlanet Executive Office – Invitation to Tender

Europlanet invites proposals to host its Executive Office. The Executive Office is responsible for administrative tasks, communications, membership coordination and technical support for Europlanet activities. Hosting the Europlanet Executive Office presents a unique opportunity to play a central role in Europlanet’s mission, supporting its day-to-day operations and long-term vision. 

About Europlanet

Europlanet (europlanet.org) promotes the advancement of planetary science and related fields for the benefit of the community. It is an international non-profit association (AISBL), registered in Belgium, and is open to individual and organisational members. Its core programmes include the provision of access to research infrastructure, virtual tools and services, training and networking activities. It also fosters grass-roots programmes to support the community.

Scope of the Europlanet Executive Office 

The Executive Office tasks are presented as a series of four Modules, which could be carried out by a single organisation, or a combination of organisations working together to complete the package of tasks. Knowledge of the planetary and/or international research community is desirable but not essential.

Overall, the staff effort is expected to total around 1 Full-Time Employee (FTE) to cover the Core Modules 1-4 (the Extended Module 2 is expected to require additional time and specialist skills and knowledge of the subject area, so is listed as optional). However, given the range of skills required, it is anticipated that a team of individuals working part time may be needed to provide the complete package of support. 

Quotes are invited for hosting the whole Executive Office package, or for specific Modules (e.g. Modules 1-3, Module 4 only, or Extended Module 2).

The contract with Europlanet AISBL to provide the Executive Office services will be for a five-year period, with a review and opportunity to terminate after three years.

Timeline

Call opens: 13 March 2025
Call closes: 23 April 2025
Interviews: 5-23 May 2025
Notification: 31 May 2025
Provisional contract start: 1 November 2025

Submissions

Details of how to prepare your submission and how proposals will be evaluated can be found in the full Invitation to Tender.

Please send your clarification questions and submissions to: Anita Heward, Vice President, Europlanet (aheward@europlanet.org).

You are also welcome to request an informal call to discuss proposals in advance of the submission deadline.

Invitation to Tender
Detailed Specification

Call for Nominations for Chair and Vice-Chair of Europlanet Diversity Committee

December 9, 2024

Call for Nominations for Chair and Vice-Chair of Europlanet Diversity Committee

We invite nominations for one Chair and one Vice-Chair position on the Diversity Committee of Europlanet. Deadline for nominations: 10 January 2025.

The Europlanet Diversity Committee acts as a strategic task force to advise, coordinate and champion activities across Europlanet that further its commitment to equality, diversity and inclusivity.

The Diversity Committee consists of ten officers from the Regional Hubs, an EPEC representative, an Executive Board representative, a Chair, a Vice-Chair, and a Secretary.

The call for nominations is now open for President and Vice President of Europlanet Diversity Committee. The call will close on 10 January 2025.

Standing as a candidate for Chair or Vice-Chair of the Diversity Committee is an important opportunity to help shape Europlanet at an exciting time, so please consider putting your name forward!

Application Form for Chair or Vice-Chair of the Diversity Committee

Europlanet Vice President Elected

September 10, 2024

Europlanet Vice President Elected

The results of the elections of the Europlanet Society Executive Board were announced at the Europlanet General Assembly on Tuesday, 10 September 2024. Anita Heward will join the Board of the Europlaent Society and Europlanet AISBL.

Find out about her objectives and what she hopes to achieve by serving on the Board of the Europlanet Society over the next four years.

Vice President

Anita Heward

Anita Heward Vice-President (2024-2026)

I have been involved in Europlanet since 2006, when I took part in the very first outreach workshop and set up the press office for the inaugural Europlanet Science Congress (EPSC) in Berlin. Since then, I have worked with Europlanet as it has evolved from a Networking Activity to a Research Infrastructure (RI), a Consortium and a Society, playing an active role in its outreach, communications and management, and helping to put in place the structures for its most recent incarnations. 

In 2019, I became the first elected Secretary of the Europlanet Society, serving a four-year term until November 2023. I led communications and community networking activities in the €10 million EC-funded Europlanet 2024 RI project, which ran from 1 February 2020 until 31 July 2024, and was a part of the Management Team at the University of Kent. I acted as the Virtual Organising Committee Chair for the first fully-virtual EPSC in 2020, and I have served as Vice-Chair of EPSC from 2021-2024 and for the 2019 EPSC-DPS Joint Meeting. Over the past year, I have also chaired a Sustainability Working Group to look at how to sustain activities carried out by Europlanet 2024 RI beyond the EC grant. I was a founding member of the Europlanet Association Sans But Lucratif (AISBL) which was established in 2023 to provide a independent legal structure for the sustainability of Europlanet activities.

I have been a director and trustee of several small businesses and charities, including the Dill Faulkes Educational Trust Ltd since 2012, and I have nearly 25 years’ experience working for astronomy-related organisations around the world.

I am now standing as Vice-President of the Executive Board of the Europlanet Society and Association to ask for a mandate to help Europlanet make the transition to a new, sustainable footing as a non-profit association that provides professional services to the community.  I do not seek a full 4-year term and aim to stand down by 2026 to make way for a new Vice President or President Elect who can take Europlanet forward, beyond this transitional phase.

The last few years have been a time of significant upheaval and challenge for us all due to the Covid-19 pandemic. For Europlanet, it has also been a time of rapid change and evolution. Independent evaluation of the Europlanet 2024 RI project demonstrates, for the first time, robust evidence of the important role Europlanet plays in underpinning the planetary community by providing access to facilities, field sites, services and expertise. It is critical that these activities should be maintained for the benefit of the community. 

In September 2024, Europlanet will launch a new organisational membership programme that will provide a solid foundation for its research infrastructure and networking activities, which have been developed and optimised over nearly 20 years.

I believe that my longstanding knowledge of Europlanet, coupled with my practical experience of running small non-profit enterprises, puts me in a unique position to help Europlanet through this evolution into an independent, sustainable association.

Europlanet’s ‘raison d’être’ is to support the planetary science community in Europe, cementing values of inclusiveness, diversity, collaboration and excellence in science. I would like to help ensure that Europlanet can continue to deliver this support to benefit the next generation of planetary scientists and, more broadly, Europe’s citizens.

EPSC2024: Farinella Prize 2024 Awarded to Ravit Helled

September 9, 2024

Farinella Prize 2024 Awarded to Ravit Helled

EPSC2024 Press Release 

Prof Ravit Helled, of the University of Zurich in Switzerland, has been awarded the 2024 Paolo Farinella Prize for her outstanding contributions to research into ‘the internal structure of planetary bodies: clues on formation processes of the Solar System’. The award ceremony took place today during the Europlanet Science Congress (EPSC) 2024 in Berlin and was followed by a prize lecture by Prof Helled.

The annual prize was established in 2010 to honour the memory of the Italian scientist Paolo Farinella (1953-2000). Each year, the prize acknowledges an outstanding researcher not older than 47 years (the age of Prof Farinella when he passed away) who has achieved important results in one of Prof Farinella’s fields of work. Each edition of the prize focuses on a different research area and, in 2024, the topic covered theoretical, modelling, experimental and observational work on the internal structure of Solar System bodies, including planets, moons and small bodies. The award is supported by the Europlanet Society.

Prof Helled’s research deals with the formation of gaseous-rich planets inside and outside the Solar System. Her research on planetary interiors aims to determine the composition and internal structures of planets. She proposed that the cores of giant planets, which are enriched with heavy elements, might not be distinct from the rest of the deep interior region. This idea that cores are dilute or fuzzy, with some hydrogen and helium contained in the core and a gradual heavy-element structure extending into the deep interior, has since been confirmed by mission data. 

Adriano Campo Bagatin, of the University of Alicante in Spain, said on behalf of the Paolo Farinella Prize Committee: “Ravit Helled has made first-order contributions to our understanding of giant planet formation, structure and evolution. She introduced the idea of dilute cores that was subsequently confirmed by Juno and Cassini measurements of Jupiter and Saturn. She has investigated different possible structures for gas giants and ice giants, both in this Solar System and elsewhere, and has shown how these structures are related to accretion processes. She has a strongly international perspective with involvement in both ESA and NASA spacecraft missions.”

Prof Helled obtained her Bachelor’s degree and PhD from the University of Tel Aviv. She joined the Department of Astrophysics at the University of Zurich in 2016 as Assistant Professor and has been Full Professor since 2023. She is a Co-Investigator on NASA’s Juno and ESA’s Juice missions, a Science Team Member of ESA’s Plato mission and the Interior Working Group Leader and a Consortium Member of ESA’s Ariel mission.

Prof Helled said on receiving the award: “I am very honored to receive the Farinella Prize. I am proud to be part of the planetary science community and thankful for doing research on a daily basis. I also thank my collaborators, students and postdocs who make the science journey so exciting and enjoyable.“

About the Paolo Farinella Prize

The Paolo Farinella Prize (https://www.europlanet.org/paolo-farinella-prize/) was established to honour the memory and the outstanding figure of Paolo Farinella (1953-2000), an extraordinary scientist and person. The prize is awarded in recognition of significant contributions given in the fields of interest of Farinella, which span from planetary sciences to space geodesy, fundamental physics, science popularization, and security in space, weapons control and disarmament. The winner of the prize is selected each year on the basis of their overall research results in a chosen field. Candidates must participate in international and interdisciplinary collaborations, and be not older than 47 years, the age of Farinella when he passed away, at the date of 25 March 2000. The prize was first proposed during the ‘International Workshop on Paolo Farinella the scientist and the man’, held in Pisa in 2010 and supported by the University of Pisa, ISTI/CNR and by IAPS-INAF (Rome), and first awarded in 2011.

The 2024 Paolo Farinella Prize Committee:

  • Francis Nimmo (Chair. UC Santa Cruz, USA)
  • Erik Asphaug (Univ. of  Arizona, USA)
  • Ricardo Hueso (Univ. del País Vasco, Spain)
  • Hauke Hussmann (DLR, Germany)
  • Catherine Johnson (UBC, Canada)
  • Adriano Campo Bagatin (Univ. Alicante, Spain)

Paolo Farinella Prize winners:

  • 2011: William Bottke (Physics and dynamics of small Solar System bodies)
  • 2012: John Chambers (Formation and early evolution of the Solar System)
  • 2013: Patrick Michel (Collisional processes in the Solar System)
  • 2014: David Vokrouhlicky (Understanding of the dynamics and physics of Solar System, including how pressure from solar radiation affects the orbits of both asteroids and artificial satellites)
  • 2015: Nicolas Biver (Molecular and isotopic composition of cometary volatiles by means of submillimetre and millimetre ground and space observations)
  • 2016: Kleomenis Tsiganis (Studies of the applications of celestial mechanics to the dynamics of planetary systems, including the development of the Nice model)
  • 2017: Simone Marchi (Understanding the complex problems related to the impact history and physical evolution of the inner Solar System, including the Moon)
  • 2018: Francis Nimmo (Understanding of the internal structure and evolution of icy bodies in the Solar System and the resulting influence on their surface processes)
  • 2019: Scott Sheppard and Chad Trujillo (Observational characterisation of the Kuiper belt and the Neptune-trojan population)
  • 2020: Jonathan Fortney and Heather Knutson (Understanding of the structure, evolution and atmospheric dynamics of giant planets)
  • 2021: Diana Valencia and Lena Noack (Understanding of the interior structure and dynamics of terrestrial and super-Earth exoplanets)
  • 2022: Julie Castillo-Rogez and Martin Jutzi (Asteroids: Physics, Dynamics, Modelling and Observations)
  • 2023: Federica Spoto and Diego Turrini (From superbolides to meteorites: physics and dynamics of small planetary impactors).

Images

Prof Ravit Helled, winner of the Farinella Prize 2024, is looking directly at the camera.
Prof Ravit Helled. Credit: Jos Schmid.

Science Contacts

Prof Ravit Helled
Department of Astrophysics
University of Zurich
Switzerland
http://www.ics.uzh.ch/~rhelled/Site/Home.html
ravit.helled@uzh.ch

Media Contact
Anita Heward
Press Officer
EPSC2024
Phone: +44 7756 034243
a.heward@europlanet-society.org

About the Europlanet Science Congress (EPSC) 

The Europlanet Science Congress (https://www.epsc2024.eu/), established in 2006 as the European Planetary Science Congress, is the largest planetary science meeting in Europe and regularly attracts around 1200 participants. It covers the entire range of planetary sciences with an extensive mix of talks, workshops and poster sessions, as well as providing a unique space for networking and exchanges of experiences.

Follow on X/Twitter via @europlanetmedia and using the hashtag #EPSC2024.

About Europlanet

Europlanet (www.europlanet-society.org) is a not-for-profit association and membership organisation that provides the planetary science community with access to research infrastructure, services and training. The Europlanet Internationale Association Sans But Lucratif (AISBL), established in 2023, builds on the heritage of a series of projects funded by the European Commission between 2005 and 2024 to support the planetary science community in Europe and around the world. 

Europlanet received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement numbers 871149 (Europlanet 2024 Research Infrastructure) and 654208 (Europlanet 2020 RI), FP7 under grant agreement number 228319 (Europlanet RI) and FP6 under grant agreement number RICA-CT-2004-001637 (European Planetology Network).

Meet the Ireland-UK Hub Committee

August 6, 2024

The Ireland-UK Hub Committee met in person at the British Planetary Science Congress (BPSC) in June 2024. The mission statement for the Hub, the committee composition and the recruitment of positions to be filled were discussed. The hub is particularly searching for more Irish representatives to join the committee.

BPSC 2024 took place at Space Park Leicester (SPL) and the adjacent National Space Centre in Leicester between 18-21 June. The event started with a 1-day workshop for early careers, during which experienced SPL engineers and project managers presented examples of how space instruments and missions are developed. The main 3-day conference consisted of oral and poster sessions, reflecting the range of topical planetary and space science activities in the UK. Europlanet sponsored the event through the Ireland-UK Hub. The Europlanet Management Team from the University of Kent attended with a stand and participated in the community consultation day.

Get to know some of the members of the Ireland-UK Hub Committee through their profiles:

Steve Miller – Interim Chair and Royal Astronomical Society Liaison, University
College London

Steve Miller, Ireland-UK Hub Interim Chair.
Steve Miller

Steve Miller is Emeritus Professor of Science Communication and Planetary Science at University College London, and Chair of the Royal Astronomical Society’s outreach and engagement programme RAS200: Sky & Earth. His planetary science interests lie in understanding how giant planets – like Jupiter and Saturn, and some of the hot, giant exoplanets – couple with their space environment. A former political journalist, Steve is interested in wider science and society issues. He is (co-)author of Science in Public: communication, culture and credibility (1998) and The Chemical Cosmos: a guided tour (2011). Steve is a Founder Member of Europlanet and the Europlanet Society.

Peter Fawdon – UK Planetary Forum Liaison, Open University

Peter is a research fellow at the Open University. In his research is he uses geological remote sensing to understand the geological history of early Mars. Focusing on geographic contexts of where heat (volcanoes) and water (rivers, lakes and ice) have interacted. This is part of his broad interest in the context of life outside Earth; understanding where the places are in which life could have lived. He is an involved member of the ExoMars mission, as part of the Science operations working group leading the geological mapping of the landing site, as and as part of the PanCam and CaSSIS camera teams.

Peter became involved in Europlanet through his organisation of BPSC2022 and his desire to expand the UK Planetary Forum to better serve the needs of the flourishing planetary research community across the British Isles.

Chrysa Avdellidou – Vice Chair, University of Leicester

Chrysa Avdellidou, Ireland-UK Hub Member.
Chrysa Avdellidou

I am a Lecturer in Planetary Science (University of Leicester), studying asteroids, moons and impacts in our solar system with experiments and observations. I am a collaborator at the ORISIS-REx, an ESA participating scientist at the Martian Moon eXploration, and I participate in the LUnar Meteoroid Impact Observer cubesat team. I hold a Physics Degree from the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki and a PhD in Physics from the University of Kent. I was a fellow at ESA/ESTEC and at the Observatory of Nice. I am a council member of the Royal Astronomical Society. My aim is to promote planetary science via the UK/Ireland node.

Jack Wright – Secretary, Open University

Jack Wright, Ireland-UK Hub Member.
Jack Wright

Originally from Belfast, Jack Wright is a European Space Agency Research Fellow based at the European Space Astronomy Centre outside Madrid, Spain. He completed his PhD in planetary geology at the Open University (UK) in 2019, during which he made the first geological map of Mercury’s Hokusai quadrangle. He stayed at the Open University for two postdoctoral positions where he produced advanced planetary maps, including machine-learning-derived terrain maps of Martian rover landing sites. At ESA, he continues to use geological mapping to address big questions about Mercury, including the subsurface distribution of the planet’s enigmatic volatiles. Jack is looking forward to strengthening ties between planetary science researchers in Ireland and the UK as Secretary of the Europlanet Ireland & UK Regional Hub.

Lewis Dartnell – Outreach Officer, University of Westminster

Lewis Dartnell, Ireland-UK Hub Member.
Lewis Dartnell

I graduated from Oxford University with a degree in Biological Sciences and completed my PhD at University College London in 2007. I now hold the Professorship in Science Communication at the University of Westminster. My research is in the field of astrobiology and the search for microbial life on Mars, focusing on the cosmic radiation bombarding the martian surface. I am also very active in science communication and outreach. I deliver live events at schools and science festivals, work as a scientific consultant for the media, and have published five books, including one on astrobiology: ‘Life in the Universe: A Beginner’s Guide’. www.lewisdartnell.com

Planetary science research interests: Astrobiology, Mars, Cosmic Radiation, Extremophiles,
Biosignatures


Connor Hoad – EPEC Representative, Royal Holloway, University of London

Connor Hoad, Ireland-UK Hub Member.
Connor Hoad

I am a PhD student at Royal Holloway University of London, specialising in the remote sensing of Venus’s exotic surface terrains using Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) imagery. Scientific interests outside of my PhD include the employment of machine learning techniques for planetary surface exploration, and SAR investigation of the lunar regolith. My involvement in Europlanet is centred around facilitating the engagement of Irish and British early career researchers with the broader European Planetary Sciences community.

Callum Piper – Europlanet Liaison

Callum joined Europlanet in 2021, working with the management team of the Europlanet 2024 Research Infrastructure to deliver access and networking activities to the planetary science community. Coming from a background in humanities, Callum coordinates community-building activities like the Europlanet Society Webinar Series and is heavily involved with Europlanet’s sustainability plans beyond the end of the Europlanet 2024 RI project.

Other Ireland-UK Hub Participants

Frances Butcher, University of Sheffield

Frances Butcher is a Leverhulme Early Career Research Fellow at the University of Sheffield. She researches glacial processes on Mars and Earth. She aims to understand the role of ice and ice-related processes in the evolution of Mars’ surface and climate, and also works on reconstructing Earth’s Quaternary ice sheets. Frances is committed to supporting the planetary science community and looks forward to facilitating interactions between the Irish, British and wider European planetary science communities.

Caitriona Jackman, Dunsink Observatory, Dublin

Prof Caitriona Jackman leads the Planetary Magnetospheres group and the Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies. Her research interests include magnetic reconnection, large-scale magnetospheric dynamics, remote sensing of radio, UV, X-ray emissions. She is very keen on communicating science to the general public, and led the development of Ireland’s first space-themed escape room at the DIAS Dunsink Observatory.

An end and a new beginning

August 2, 2024

An end and a new beginning

As the Europlanet 2024 Research Infrastructure (RI) comes to an end, the Project Coordinator Prof Nigel Mason reflects on the highlights, achievements and outcomes of the last 4.5 years, and looks forward to the next steps for Europlanet.

Europlanet 2024 RI logo

Dear Friends and Colleagues,

31st July marked the end of the Europlanet 2024 Research Infrastructure (RI) and, with it, the completion of a series of EC-funded projects over the course of some twenty years. Europlanet 2024 RI was built upon a rich heritage of Transnational Access programmes, Virtual Access services (most notably the VESPA and SPIDER platforms) and networking activities, but has advanced the field and community still
further with:

  • The initiation of the Europlanet Telescope Network.
  • The inclusion of geological mapping and machine learning tools and services.
  • Extended international collaborations with partners in Africa, South America and Korea.
  • Strategic investment in upgrades to facilities to better-simulate and understand diverse and extreme planetary environments.

During Europlanet 2024 RI, we have provided services that have allowed the European planetary science community to continue to lead the world in pioneering research. We have supported over 300 researchers in their visits and research while providing access to a vast array of databases and tools for planetary and space science research through our Virtual Access programmes. We have been integral to
more than 230 publications, and there are many more to come!

I contend that today it is almost impossible to view European planetary science without the presence of Europlanet. The annual Europlanet Science Congress (EPSC) regularly attracts over 1200 delegates and has grown to become the recognised European meeting point of the planetary community. The Europlanet Early Career (EPEC) network supports the next generation of researchers, who will become the PIs of future missions! Europlanet is referenced in the strategic landscape analysis for European research infrastructures.

Throughout Europlanet 2024 RI, we have been planning for the sustainability of the Europlanet portfolio to ensure that twenty years of research and community work will continue into its third decade. I am therefore delighted to announce that, although Europlanet 2024 RI ends today, Europlanet is ready to continue its work and ambition.

Last year, we set up a not-for-profit association (Europlanet AISBL) that means we now have the legal structure in place to operate sustainably. In September 2024, we will be launching a new membership programme for organisations, in addition to the individual membership programmes we have been running since 2018. This new funding model will enable us to carry on our core activities, including:

  • Mobility programmes, with access to facilities, telescopes and expert exchanges.
  • Training and mentoring of early career planetary scientists and the wider community, including the Planetary Mapping Winter School.
  • Support for the community at a grass-roots level through travel bursaries, prizes and small grants.
  • Sustaining and growing our community through EPSC, strategic partnerships and other activities in all regions of Europe and internationally.
  • Ensuring the voice of the planetary science community is heard in important strategic fora in Europe and internationally.

An exciting aspect of moving beyond the EC-funded project is that we are not limited to a fixed set of beneficiaries. Henceforth, Europlanet is open to everyone, so any laboratory or research group working in the field will be able to join. With over 200 planetary-related organisations in Europe alone, that is already a sizeable pool of potential members — for a fee that is typically less than one open-access publication charge!

When organisational membership opens at EPSC, I would suggest that each of you ask your institution to join for at least one-year with a small amount from your project overheads to ensure that you are able to ensure your own legacy of Europlanet 2024 RI post-project. And, of course, we encourage you all to join as individual members. It is a small amount to support Europlanet, which is your community, designed and created through all your efforts.

A summary of our plans for Europlanet Beyond 2024 is online now, and further details will be circulated over the summer for discussion at EPSC and our final Council meeting.
In the meantime, I wish to end with many thank yous:

  • Thank you to the Europlanet 2024 RI Consortium for the constant camaraderie and team spirit – we worked through the Covid-19 pandemic, and all the subsequent issues and changes we had to make, to deliver everything we had promised despite the challenges.
  • Thank you for the enthusiasm and dedication with which everyone addressed all the Europlanet 2024 RI tasks.
  • Thank you for delivering a truly extraordinary set of scientific and technical results that have ensured our community is at the forefront of one of the greatest endeavours of humanity – exploring our Solar System and beyond.

While everyone involved has played an essential part in Europlanet 2024 RI’s success I would like to express particular thanks to the Europlanet Office team:

  • Susmita Datta, without whom we would never have been able to run this project and secure Europlanet’s future. Her efforts for all of us were (and are) remarkable, not least in engaging with the Commission so tirelessly and ensuring all their staff were supportive of our many requests. She will be chasing us for those final reports to be presented at the final Council meeting in Berlin.
  • Anita Heward, who has lived Europlanet almost since its inception in 2004 and through whom so much of the recognition of Europlanet beyond our own community has been achieved. Europlanet 2024 RI is just one part of her ‘lifetime work’ for Europlanet community.
  • Alicia Barron, Zofia Kicinova and Rosemary Stevens for their inexhaustible work on the complexity of the project finances (Rosemary will be pestering you for your financial reports now).
  • Callum Piper, for whom this was his first full-time employment and who has taken on any task we have thrown at him. Note that Callum will continue to work with us and will be your main contact point in the new future of Europlanet.

Finally, to the whole Europlanet 2024 RI team, a personal thank you for making the last years ones in which I felt I was amongst a remarkable group of people who have made a significant impact in both science and the community. It has truly been a pleasure and privilege to be the coordinator of Europlanet 2024 RI which I will always look back upon as a highlight not only of my career but my life.

And now we move on into those ‘sunlight uplands’ not only on the Earth but all those other planets and moons out there…

With very best wishes,

Nigel Mason

Call for Nominations for Vice President of Europlanet Board

July 25, 2024

Call for Nominations for Vice President of Europlanet Board

Europlanet invites nominations for one Vice-President position on the Executive Board of the Europlanet Society and Europlanet Association. Deadline for nominations: 09 August 2024.

The election results will be announced during the General Assembly at the hybrid Europlanet Science Congress (EPSC) 2024 in Berlin/online on Tuesday, 10 September 2024. An electronic ballot will be launched 20 days before the meeting, with all members of the Society encouraged to vote.

The Executive Board is the governing body of the Europlanet Society and the Executive Board members are responsible for directing and controlling the affairs and property of the Europlanet Society, including EPSC. The Executive Board consists of the five officers of the Society (the President, two Vice-Presidents, the Secretary and the Treasurer) and six other members, who are elected for a period of four years.

The President, Vice-Presidents, Secretary and Treasurer also sit on the administrative body of the Europlanet Association (AISBL), the Europlanet legal entity established in 2023 in Belgium and, as such, are legal representatives of the Europlanet Association and responsible for taking decisions on its behalf.

The President, Treasurer, Secretary, one Vice President and six Board Members were elected less than four years ago. As such, the elections in 2024 will only concern one open Vice-President officer position, which is vacant as Angelo Pio Rossi is stepping down after the completion of his term.

The call for nominations is now open for potential candidates for the Europlanet Society Executive Board Vice President position. The call will close on 09 August 2024.

Any two or more members of the Europlanet Society may nominate candidates for the election to the Executive Board. Self-nomination is possible and encouraged. Standing as a candidate for Vice-President is an important opportunity to help shape Europlanet at an exciting time, so please consider taking on this role!
 

Incoming EPSC Vice Chair – Noah Jäggi

June 14, 2024

Welcome to Incoming EPSC Vice Chair – Noah Jäggi

Europlanet is delighted welcome Noah Jäggi as the Europlanet Science Congress (EPSC) Incoming Vice Chair.

An introduction from Noah:

I am a space physicist with a background in geochemistry that connects laboratory experiments to numerical simulations. In 2019 I joined the Europlanet Early Career (EPEC) network and have been an active member since, co-organising early career focused events at EPSC and chairing the EPEC@EPSC working group from 2020 to 2022. In mid-2023 I completed my PhD and decided to become the EPEC treasurer to remain in contact with EPEC projects. Since then, I have moved to the USA for a two-year postdoctoral fellowship, continuing my services as a treasurer for EPEC, and I recently returned to EPEC@EPSC to organise another Science Flash at this year’s EPSC in Berlin. I am looking forward to serving as the EPSC vice chair going forward and am immensely grateful for the warm welcome I received from the EPSC committee.

EXPLORE – Career Profiles

February 14, 2024

EXPLORE – Career Profiles

Europlanet’s sister-project, EXPLORE, has been funded by the European Commission to develop Machine Learning and advanced visualisation tools to support the astronomy and planetary communities. One of the real strengths of the EXPLORE project is the diverse skills-set of the team. As the project comes to a close, we’ve asked people working on the project to reflect on their careers, their inspirations and the advice that they would pass on. Click on the images below to read their career profiles. If they look familiar, many of the team are also part of the Europlanet 2024 RI project’s GMAP activity and comms team.

Nick Cox
Albert Zijlstra
Anita Heward
Giacomo Nodjoumi
Angelo Pio Rossi
Javier Suárez
Iain McDonald
Manuela Rauch
Andree Genot
Lian Greijn
Vix Southgate.

We have produced an edited set of the profiles for download:

Download All Career Profiles

EXPLORE has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 101004214.

EXPLORE Career Profiles: Iain McDonald

December 31, 2023

EXPLORE Career Profiles

Name: Iain McDonald
EXPLORE Project Role: Lead developer of S-Phot Stellar Scientific Data Application
Professional Role and Affiliation: Research Fellow, University of Manchester
Nationality: British
Current location: Scotland

1. What did you want to be when you were 10?

I didn’t really have a clue, but I’d just learned to programme and I guessed it would involve computers. 

2. What was your favourite subject at school?

Unsurprisingly, physics!

3. What did you study at university? Why did you choose those topics and the places to study?

I studied astrophysics at St. Andrews. I had always had a passion for astronomy, space and writing, and a career in astrophysics let me combine the three. I chose St. Andrews because it was the closest university, meaning I could still help out on the family farm when I had a break.

4. How did you get your first job? How many jobs have you had since?

I am still in my first “real” job, which was a fortunate combination of my examiner needing a researcher at the same time I was finishing my PhD. My role and research has changed throughout the years, and I have had other jobs at the same time, but I’ve been fortunate to have been in this job for over 14 years.

5. What’s been the biggest piece of luck or ‘surprise twist’ you have had in your career to date?

I never expected to research the diversity of science I do today. Branching out from stars into discovering exoplanets isn’t that unusual, but I would never have guessed that I’d be publishing textbooks on genetic genealogy and papers in medieval history journals!

6. Have you had a mentor or person that inspired you? How did they help you?

 I owe a great debt of gratitude to too many people to mention by name. Whether that’s been someone who has proof-read my latest fellowship proposal, or someone who has sorted out my travel problems when I’m stuck in another country, or being taught how to correctly deal with liquid nitrogen or read an autocue. I am grateful to work in a very friendly community who are supportive of each other.

7. What are the main things you do each day?

 Poke computers until they do what I want them to. That might be programming a new form of analysis, making plots to examine data, or writing papers.

8. What do you like best about the work that you do and what do you like least?

The best part of my job are still the occasional times I get to spend the night observing on top of some remote mountaintop in an exciting part of the world. More often, I still get excited about looking through a fresh set of data and seeing parts of how the Universe works that no-one has seen before. The worst part is needing the patience to analyse this new data rigorously – I always want to write up my papers quickly at tell the world what I’ve found.

9. Do you have ambitions or things that you would like to do next?

There are so many different things I would like to do but don’t have the time for. There are many details of the Universe that I would like to uncover, I would like to create a better model for how humans have migrated across the globe, I’d like to climb every mountain, learn to play the clarinet and buy a farm of my own. But the most important thing I will do over the next few years is bring up a family!

10. What advice would you give your 10-year-old self?

Push yourself to try more things and get better at them. The more things you try, the more things you’ll like, and you never know when those things will become useful to you in the future. And don’t be so hard on the people who tell you to do your homework – they really do have your best interests at heart!

Quick CV

  • PhD (Keele 2009), MSc (Manchester 2005), MSci (St. Andrews 2004)
  • Research Fellow/PDRA, University of Manchester (2009-2024)
  • Lecturer, Open University (2020-2023)

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EXPLORE has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 101004214.

EXPLORE Career Profiles: Lian Greijn

EXPLORE Career Profiles

Name: Lian Greijn
EXPLORE Project Role: Intern
Professional Role and Affiliation: Intern at Acri-ST & MSc student Aerospace Engineering at TU Delft
Nationality: Dutch
Current location: Toulouse, France.

1. What did you want to be when you were 10?

For a long time, I wanted to become a judge. However, when I was old enough to learn how monotone judicial texts are I quickly abandoned that dream. 

2. What was your favourite subject at school?

My favourite subject was history, I really like reading and I enjoyed how it offers a perspective on how past events shape our modern world.

3. What did you study at university? Why did you choose those topics and the places to study?

I am still studying and in my final year for my MSc in aerospace engineering, I also completed my BSc in this field both at TU Delft. I always had a big passion for space and was very intrigued by the complexity of space missions. They have such challenging design criteria and really push the boundaries of engineering, I wanted to learn more about how we design and develop them. I chose Delft because it has a very strong international aerospace programme.

4. How did you get your first job? How many jobs have you had since?

I am of course still studying and haven’t had my first ‘real’ job yet, but I found this internship by asking around a lot in my university. For example, by approaching professors, the alumni relation office, and people I met through career events.

5. What’s been the biggest piece of luck or ‘surprise twist’ you have had in your career to date?

I was very adamant about going to Toulouse for my internship due to the strong aerospace industry in this city and because I studied French for a semester. It is however quite tough to find a position from abroad especially as a non-native French speaker. I had found an alumnus of my university who worked here and asked if he could help me. He happened to approach my current supervisor at their kid’s schoolyard to ask if he would know a position, which is what got me on this project.

6. Have you had a mentor or person that inspired you? How did they help you?

I have been inspired by almost everyone I worked with. I think working together on assignments or just discussing problems can really help with thinking outside the box and with motivation in general.  

7. What are the main things you do each day?

As part of the project, I mostly spend my day programming in Python (and therefore also a lot of time googling issues). I also spend a bit of time working on public outreach, such as editing video tutorials. 

8. What do you like best about the work that you do and what do you like least?

I really enjoy the required creativity and problem solving that comes with programming. You constantly find a new issue and try to figure out how to solve it. Sometimes tasks seem very daunting at the start, but when you manage to solve it, it is very rewarding. 

What I like least is probably that most of the work is done just sitting behind a computer, I would love to move a little more and have a bit more of a change in scenery. 

9. Do you have ambitions or things that you would like to do next?

Mostly to graduate next year! 

10. What advice would you give your 10-year-old self?

A bit cliché but I would say to just enjoy life as a kid. I would also tell myself that I am not nearly as bad at maths as I like to make myself believe. 

Quick CV

  • Academic qualifications
    • BSc in Aerospace Engineering
  • Main or selected jobs to date: 
    • Internship at Acri-ST

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EXPLORE has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 101004214.

EXPLORE Career Profiles: Vix Southgate

EXPLORE Career Profiles

Name: Vix Southgate
EXPLORE Project Role: Communication Support
Professional Role and Affiliation: Creative Communication and VIP Manager, Vixen UK
Nationality: British
Current location: Chesterfield, UK

1. What did you want to be when you were 10?

Aged 10? That’s a good question, thinking back to where I was when I was 10; I was being bullied at junior school and, as a result, my interest in education was non-existent, my future hopes were merely to survive until I could move schools. So I dreamed of being famous – mainly because I saw this as being the complete opposite of where I was – the reality of fame is that celebrities are targeted even more by bullies (or trolls as they are now known), so I’m glad I changed that dream and didn’t take the role I was offered, as Vicky in Coronation Street, aged 15. I never really knew what I wanted to be – still don’t, but it’s been an amazing journey and fun adventure so far! 

2. What was your favourite subject at school?

I enjoyed art, technical drawing, languages and history, anything creative or information that was relevant to my life. 

3. What did you study at university? Why did you choose those topics and the places to study?

I did not do a degree, but left school after GCSES (aged 15) and went to Art College BTEC ND (National Diploma) in general art and design and photography; I then went on to a BTEC HND (Higher National Diploma) in Historic Decorative Crafts, because this course brought together all my passions, creativity through decorative arts, woodworking, photography, and technical drawing, as well as my love of history – in this case the history of art and architecture. To my surprise, it also had an element on Chemistry, in the form of paint technology, which I enjoyed, and even though my science results at GCSE were dreadful, I excelled at this, as it was relevant and interesting.

4. How did you get your first job? How many jobs have you had since?

My first job was a paper round aged 13, because I wanted to be able to buy my own Beano comics! My first proper job since leaving university was as a self-employed bespoke furniture maker, but I was making items for people who knew me and were helping me build a portfolio.  I would say my first BIG break was a year in, when I landed the job of painting ALL the new signs for the Emmerdale set, my Woolpack sign was on the show for 25 years (it was replace in Dec 2022 after the plot writers set fire to the Woolpack)! 

Occasionally, I had to supplement my income with temporary employment (which is fun and I am able to add new skills to my business skillset, which all helps with future employment) I’ve worked in most industries, and learned as much as I could with every job I have had.

5. What’s been the biggest piece of luck or ‘surprise twist’ you have had in your career to date?

Whilst there has been a huge element of luck throughout my career, that luck has always come along when I work hard to building a route to that moment that provides the big break. However, I think my transition into the space sector is the biggest surprise twist! I never had an interest in space, beyond supporting my Brother who has dedicated his life to Astrophysics. I thought of space as his universe, not mine, but then (after life-changing surgery which forced me to look at a new career) I found the technical/engineering side and fell in love with the passion of others in this sector.  

6. Have you had a mentor or person that inspired you? How did they help you?

For my initial career my mentors and inspirations were my tutors and the mastercraftsmen of history. In the space sector, I would say it is everyone I meet, everyone has an inspirational story to tell and it is the most collaborative and supportive industry I have worked in.

7. What are the main things you do each day?

Each day is different. There are the usual admin tasks, prioritising tasks, email, social media, etc and sometimes I am doing research for a book or article, or proofreading, editing, designing graphics or logos, or following-up regarding events or potential leads (future work). Networking and keeping in touch with my connections is also high on my every-day to do list. 

8. What do you like best about the work that you do and what do you like least?

I love the variety of jobs I do and the great potential to move in any direction I want to. I have the flexibility to follow new paths -and the unknown is so exciting, and terrifying!  
I dislike the uncertainty of where the next contract or payment is coming from, but over the decades I have found a formula that works for me ‘most of the time’! 

9. Do you have ambitions or things that you would like to do next?

I have so many dreams and projects that I have started and want to finish, but my main ambition is to continue to make a difference and support future generations. 

10. What advice would you give your 10-year-old self?

I would not change the advice I gave myself, aged 10, and that was that ‘you will be fine’! What helps me is; to focus on the positives of each day and leave the negativity behind. Surround yourself with people that support you and celebrate your successes with you (not those who try to bring you down). Every new day is a new opportunity to learn and succeed, but also ‘do not fear failure’ it is through failing that I have learned the most and found my greatest successes!

Quick CV

  • Academic qualifications
    • GCSEs: Maths, Eng Lang, Eng Lit, French, Spanish, History, Art, Chemistry, Physics.
    • BTEC ND: General Art & Design and A-Levels: Art
    • BTEC HND: Historic Decorative CraftsYHAFE: Teacher Training
  • Main or selected jobs to date: 
    • Self employed: (1996-present) This has included bespoke woodwork; stately home restoration; theatre, TV and film production design; painting and decorating; graphic design; signwriting; motorbike repair and custom paint jobs; church restoration and woodwork; antique restoration; author and illustrator of childrens books; publishing; editing; marketing and PR; creative communications; business and design consultancy; events coordination; VIP management and scheduling; et al.
    • Capital One: (2000-2002) Customer service; creative communications; magazine editor; incentives manager.

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EXPLORE has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 101004214.

EXPLORE Career Profiles: Giacomo Nodjoumi

EXPLORE Career Profiles

Name: Giacomo Nodjoumi
EXPLORE Project Role: Co-leader of the development of L-EXPLO and L-HEX Lunar Scientific Data Applications
Professional Role and Affiliation: PhD Candidate, Constructor University
Nationality: Italian
Current location: Bremen, Germany.

1. What did you want to be when you were 10?

Space game developer, professional bass player, fighter jet pilot/astronaut… I had too many different interests and dreams.

2. What was your favourite subject at school?

Natural Sciences and informatics were the most interesting for me. But I also enjoyed chemistry and English. I really disliked humanities; now I regret that I was not more interested in those fields.

3. What did you study at university? Why did you choose those topics and the places to study?

Both my Bachelor’s and Master’s were in geology, so I mainly studies scientific fields, from chemistry to petrography and so on. My Master’z was focused on engineering geology and risk assessment and management, so the topics shifted a bit to more practical problems for risk assessment and mitigation, such as slope stability or geophysics, remote sensing and so on.

I chose these subjects for the love of natural sciences, and the desire to know more about our Earth. The Master’s was chosen essentially for the course in remote sensing (feeding my nerdy side).

4. How did you get your first job? How many jobs have you had since?

My Master’s thesis supervisor offered me one, since I made a working prototype of a multi-camera instrument for monitoring landslide. I’ve had two jobs including my actual position. The first one in the company of my supervisor, but it lasted only for three months, it was not fulfilling my expectations.

5. What’s been the biggest piece of luck or ‘surprise twist’ you have had in your career to date?

A colleague and close friend, aware of my passion for remote sensing and space, put me in contact with my current PhD supervisor. Since I always thought that working in planetary science was impossible for me, it was a life-changing event, especially since I had to move to another country for longer periods of time. The ‘surprise twist’ (even if I would describe it as a very, very biggest piece of bad luck for the whole world) was that the Covid-19 pandemic started almost immediately after my arrival in Bremen.

6. Have you had a mentor or person that inspired you? How did they help you?

No one in particular, maybe Baden-Powell (founder of the Scout Movement) inspired me in my “youth days”, but since then I’d say that any person that I met, lived with, or worked with, left me some sort of lesson which helped me grow up in different aspects of my life.

One of Baden-Powell’s mottos, ‘Estote Parati,’ which translates to ‘Be Prepared’ in English, inspired me to be ready for everyday challenges. Additionally, a point of the Scout’s Law, “A Scout’s duty is to be useful and to help others”, motivated me to strive to be a better person. 

7. What are the main things you do each day?

Drink coffee, analyse planetary data, develop Python tools, read scientific papers, write papers for my PhD, keep updated with trending technologies and – last but not least – drink more coffee!

8. What do you like best about the work that you do and what do you like least?

I really like the fact that I am pursuing almost all my passions, even if it can be very stressful and challenging.

9. Do you have ambitions or things that you would like to do next?

I would like to continue developing something that may help future generations that wants to join the planetary science community.

10. What advice would you give your 10-year-old self?

I know that may sounds a classic answer but “Listen to your mother, think less, enjoy life more, and do more exercises!”

Quick CV

  • Academic qualifications
    • Bachelor’s in Geology
    • Master’s in Engineering Geology and Risk Assessment
    • PhD Candidate in Planetary Sciences
  • Main or selected jobs to date: 
    • MsC in Engineering Geology (2016-2019)
    • Junior Remote Sensing Analyst (2019-2020)
    • PhD Candidate in planetary sciences (2020-Present)

More EXPLORE Career Profiles

EXPLORE has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 101004214.

EXPLORE Career Profiles: Andree Genot

EXPLORE Career Profiles

Name: Andree Genot
EXPLORE Project Role: adwäisEO Project Manager for EXPLORE Cloud Integration and Science Data Archiving activities
Professional Role and Affiliation: Project Manager at adwäisEO
Nationality: Belgian
Current location: Luxembourg

1. What did you want to be when you were 10?

At the age of 10, I aspired to be either a policeman or a firefighter. This inclination reflected my tomboyish nature and a desire to engage in adventurous and heroic pursuits.

2. What was your favourite subject at school?

I had several favourite subjects in school, including languages, sciences, and history. Each subject appealed to different aspects of my interests and curiosity.

3. What did you study at university? Why did you choose those topics and the places to study?

I pursued a degree in Communications at university with the initial intention of entering the field of advertising. The choice of Communications appealed to me because of its versatility, offering opportunities in various career fields. I opted to study in Brussels due to its international and cosmopolitan atmosphere, providing a rich cultural and educational experience.

4. How did you get your first job? How many jobs have you had since?

I secured my first job through word of mouth. Over the course of my career, I have had three jobs, with one particular role lasting for an impressive 13 years. Networking and personal connections played a significant role in shaping my career trajectory.

5. What’s been the biggest piece of luck or ‘surprise twist’ you have had in your career to date?

The most unexpected turn in my career was securing a job in IT and Finance and then again transitioning from the realms of finance and IT to the Space and Earth Observation sector. This unexpected twist opened new doors and provided me with unique opportunities in a cutting-edge field.

6. Have you had a mentor or person that inspired you? How did they help you?

My father has been a significant inspiration in my life. His support, open-mindedness, interest in languages and cultures, and a balance of ambition and modesty have shaped my values and approach to life and work. His journey from a librarian in a South African Black University to working for the European Central Bank exemplifies the power of determination and adaptability.

7. What are the main things you do each day?

My daily routine involves extensive research, document writing, project follow-ups, and regular participation in meetings. These tasks collectively contribute to the efficiency and progress of my work.

8. What do you like best about the work that you do and what do you like least?

The collaborative nature of team projects and the research aspects of my work are what I enjoy the most. On the flip side, certain administrative or routine tasks might be less appealing, but they are essential for the overall success of projects.

9. Do you have ambitions or things that you would like to do next?

My aspirations include acquiring more technical training and potentially pursuing further studies to become a Compliance Officer. These ambitions align with my ongoing commitment to professional development and expanding my skill set.

10. What advice would you give your 10-year-old self?

I would advise my 10-year-old self to care less about the opinions of others, concentrate on personal growth, and focus on continuous learning. These principles can empower individuals to build a strong foundation for their future endeavours.

Quick CV

  • Academic qualifications
    • Bachelors in Information and Communications 
    • Financial Studies Certification
  • Main or selected jobs to date:
    • Project Manager at adwäisEO (2022-2023)
    • IT Business Analyst/ Data Specialist/Data Operations – Assistant Director (2017 –2021)
    • IT Financial Product/Project Manager (2014 –2016)
    • Quality Control Specialist, IT Financial Products (2008) 

More EXPLORE Career Profiles

EXPLORE has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 101004214.

EXPLORE Career Profiles: Angelo Pio Rossi

EXPLORE Career Profiles

Name: Angelo Pio Rossi
EXPLORE Project Role: Lead developer of the L-EXPLO and L-HEX Lunar Scientific Data Applications
Professional Role and Affiliation: Professor of Earth and Planetary Science, Constructor University
Nationality: Italian
Current location: Bremen, Germany.

1. What did you want to be when you were 10?

Oscillating in between a coroner, an archaeologist, and a fossil (or mineral) hunter. I realised later a geologist is a bit of all of them. And medicine was not my thing anyway.

2. What was your favourite subject at school?

Natural sciences, and later Latin and Earth Sciences. Old dead things, mostly.

3. What did you study at university? Why did you choose those topics and the places to study?

I studied geology. I went through my high school years forgetting my childhood’s visceral attraction to geology, and somehow it came out again in the end. There was a geoscience program just started (the department was founded just 2-3 years before) in a nearby city, and I enrolled. That was it. 

4. How did you get your first job? How many jobs have you had since?

A PhD stipend perhaps does not quite qualify as job, but in the years I was doing my PhD, I also worked for a little while as a surveyor for the Italian geological mapping programme, as a new edition of the local systematic geological map was being prepared. Funnily enough, back then we were experimenting with digital mapping. Only, technology was not like now (digital mapping with tablets is nowadays quite normal): we had clunky devices, and obscure software that I goofily adapted from something developed by USGS in Alaska (and actually kindly provided by them).

I was then at ESA in the Netherlands for some years, then at ISSI in Switzerland, and at Constructor (formerly Jacobs University) for the last decade.

5. What’s been the biggest piece of luck or ‘surprise twist’ you have had in your career to date?

To be honest I had many lucks, but none uniquely shaped my career. They did shape my view on things, though. Since you ask, let me try and recall a small selection:

  • When I was working for my undergraduate thesis and, later, during my PhD, the lab hosting me had a few visitors and researchers. I want to list few of them: Goro Komatsu (later he became a professor at my Alma Mater), Jens Ormö (he is at CAB in Madrid now), and for a sabbatical also Paul Geissler (at USGS Flagstaff now, back then at University of Arizona), and shortly people like Jeff Kargel (UoA). For me, that was a very enriching time, being exposed to many research topics, but mostly different people, and backgrounds. You don’t have time for anecdotes now, maybe one day…
  • Later, when I was at ESA as research fellow, I had the luck – truly, this time, as I was there between 2005 and 2008 – to be involved with Mars Express, a mission that was in its early phases. It was then that I started appreciating openness with data (In this respect the MEX HRSC team was exemplary), rather than planetary mission experiments as exclusive club. A decade later this was one of the motivation inspiring the co-founding of OpenPlanetary
  • Finally, at ISSI in Bern, I had the luck to meet and interact with Johannes Geiss (see below), and many others. Apart from the fact that the entire ISSI staff is lovely, Johannes was an encyclopedic, deep scholar and an amazing character. 

6. Have you had a mentor or person that inspired you? How did they help you?

Yes, very much. I have a few. First and foremost my late palaeontology professor from my undergraduate times: Giovanni Jack Pallini. Then, many years later, the late Johannes Geiss, who was a legend and the funniest and most  – gently – iconoclastic scientist I have ever met. And Roger Maurice Bonnet, who is one of the most elegant leaders I recall (plus, decades later, we still chew planetary missions he has made possible…).  They helped me through their example, not just with words… with things adsorbed, and not necessarily realised immediately. 

7. What are the main things you do each day?

Curse my two cats jumping on my laptop while I work, or dipping their paws into my cup of tea. 

8. What do you like best about the work that you do and what do you like least?

  • I actually like geology because at the same time it deals with the past – the forgotten and the buried – and also what happens now, and what might happen in the future. I don’t think it is the only discipline to give this multi-scale view of things (spatial, temporal), but it is definitely one of those providing the broadest view. 
  • Regardless geology, since running projects is what I have been done in practice in all those years, what I like is to make things happen. 
  • What do I like least? Dealing with (most) academics, and their terrible time management skills.

9. Do you have ambitions or things that you would like to do next?

I prefer to answer to this question next year 😉 But if you really insist: to learn and explore new things.

10. What advice would you give your 10-year-old self?

  1. I don’t know… I tried many paths, I messed up a few, and overall, if I look back, at certain junctions where life could have gone one way or another, I realise that I am OK with what I did. I own it, even if it is not the best way according to mainstream metrics. But metrics are a bit of a trap, anyway.  There is actually a drawing that I saw a couple of years ago, and I think it is all I would like just to show to my 10 year-old self. Rather sure that he would not get it. And that is fine, too.

Quick CV

  • Academic qualifications
    • 2004 – Ph.D., IRSPS, Univ. Chieti, Italy
    • 2000 – Degree in Earth Sciences, Univ. Chieti, Italy
  • Main or selected jobs to date: 
    • 2011-present – Constructor University (Bremen, Germany)
    • 2005-2008 – European Space Agency (Noordwijk, the Netherlands)
    • 2008-2010 – International Space Science Institute (Bern, Switzerland)

More EXPLORE Career Profiles

EXPLORE has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 101004214.

EXPLORE Career Profiles: Anita Heward

EXPLORE Career Profiles

Name: Anita Heward
EXPLORE Project Role: Communications Manager
Professional Role and Affiliation: Director, Dill Faulkes Educational Trust (DFET) Ltd
Nationality: British
Current location: Surrey, UK

1. What did you want to be when you were 10?

I wanted to be a ski instructor!

2. What was your favourite subject at school?

I liked English best. I really loved reading and I liked trying to understand how stories are put together. I was encouraged to study sciences and maths by my teachers and parents, as I was quite good at them. They advised me that it was possible to pick up other subjects later in life, but with science this is harder to do, and that science opens doors to many different careers.

3. What did you study at university? Why did you choose those topics and the places to study?

 I originally wanted to study law at Cambridge but I didn’t get the grades. I looked through several university prospectuses until I came across a course in Physics and Space Science at the University of Leicester. I was watching Star Wars on TV at the time and it felt like it was meant to be! In practice, I found it quite hard to engage with the theory and the maths during my degree. When I graduated, I followed my 10-year-old self’s dream to spend some time working and skiing in the Alps. It was a lot of fun but, at the end of a year, I felt it was time to do something more academic. I went back to Leicester to do a Master’s degree in Earth Observation Science. Doing a subject with practical applications and creating maps where you could visualise the data and see movement and changes in front of you was a breakthrough for me. I really loved it.

4. How did you get your first job? How many jobs have you had since?

Towards the end of my MSc, I was looking for a job. An email came round the department for a part-time opportunity to spend six-months helping to research content for a gallery at the National Space Centre, a space-themed visitor attraction that was under development in Leicester at the time. I ended up spending three years there, full-time, as an exhibition developer, curator and setting up a space news service for visitors. Since I left, I have been freelance, so have had a ‘portfolio’ career of working on lots of different projects at any one time.

5. What’s been the biggest piece of luck or ‘surprise twist’ you have had in your career to date?

Working at the National Space Centre, from the time it was a set of architectural plans to when the building was open and welcoming hundreds of visitors per day, was an amazing experience. Defining what to put in this enormous building, within the budget and time constraints, was a huge job, carried out by a very small – generally very young – team. In my mid-twenties, I was given a lot of opportunities and responsibilities, and hands-on experience of pretty much every aspect of the project, from buying rockets and space suits to mopping the floors. I wrote the text for hundreds of exhibition panels, which was very good practice for distilling complex topics into 100-200 words. I also developed a very wide network of people working in the space sector, academia and the media, which has been the bedrock of everything that I have done since.

6. Have you had a mentor or person that inspired you? How did they help you?

Since I left the National Space Centre, I have largely been freelance. Both my parents were self-employed and they showed me that this was a valid, achievable career path and supported me when I made the leap. Many of the people that I worked with at the Space Centre were inspirational, including the Creative Director, Alex Hall, and the original CEO, Keith Beaumont, who was an exceptionally skilled manager who made everyone feel that they could have their say within the company’s decision-making process.

7. What are the main things you do each day?

I work on a number of different projects, each including many different activities, so no two days are exactly the same. I spend a lot of time on Zoom talking to people around the world. I also spend a lot of time editing material from different sources to make funding proposals, articles or press releases that are coherent and understandable for non-experts.

8. What do you like best about the work that you do and what do you like least?

I get to work on many different topics, right across the spectrum of planetary science research, and interact with many people with diverse perspectives and backgrounds. In the past year or so, I have been very focused on thinking about strategy and sustainability for various activities – essentially how can we turn projects that have been funded through grants into businesses and services that people will pay for. This has been very interesting, though very demanding. I like least the fact that I work on project with deadlines that I have little control over. Urgent things come up, often with very little warning, that I just have to deal with. This makes it very hard to manage my time and to take time off.

9. Do you have ambitions or things that you would like to do next?

I did a creative writing MA part time from 2010-2012 where I had to deliver a draft of a novel. I never had time to follow up with trying to get it published, although many of my course-mates are now onto their third or fourth book. I feel that the world of science is very misleadingly portrayed generally in fiction, TV and film and this is a real problem for public engagement and trust in science. I want to write entertaining, fast paced books that are set in a world that reflects how science and space missions are actually carried out. 

10. What advice would you give your 10-year-old self?

I was a very quiet and shy child and I think I would have been astonished to know that I’d ended up in a career in communications, sometimes having to give talks in front of hundreds of people. I would tell myself that listening is an underrated skill. Don’t worry if you don’t feel you have much to say a lot of the time, so long as you listen, think things through and have the confidence to speak up when you have ideas to contribute. 

Quick CV

  • Qualifications:
    • GCSE: Maths, Chemistry, Physics, Biology, English Literature, English Language, French, Spanish and Geography
    • A-Level: Maths, Chemistry, Physics, Biology
    • BSc: Physics and Space Science
    • MSc: Earth Observation Science
    • PGDip: Science Communication
    • MA: Creative Writing
  • Work:
    • 1998-2001: National Space Centre – Exhibition Development, Curator and Exhibition Manager
    • 2001-Present: Freelance/project work for clients including EXPLORE, Europlanet, the Royal Astronomical Society, Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC), Google Lunar XPRIZE, VolitionRX, UCL, the Open University and University of Kent.

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EXPLORE has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 101004214.

EXPLORE Career Profiles: Javier Eduardo Suárez Valencia

EXPLORE Career Profiles

Name: Javier Eduardo Suárez Valencia
EXPLORE Project Role: Researcher on the L-EXPLO and L-HEX Lunar Scientific Data Applications
Professional Role and Affiliation: PhD Candidate in Planetary Science at Constructor University.
Nationality: Colombian
Current location: Bremen, Germany

1. What did you want to be when you were 10?

I wanted to be an astronaut, especially to go to different planets.

2. What was your favourite subject at school?

Biology.

3. What did you study at university? Why did you choose those topics and the places to study?

Geology. I choose it because there was not an astronomy program in my country, and geology was still a really interesting natural science. Eventually, I was able to link the two. 

4. How did you get your first job? How many jobs have you had since?

My first job was as a risk management geologist, doing maps for a location in Colombia. Since then, I had two other jobs.

5. What’s been the biggest piece of luck or ‘surprise twist’ you have had in your career to date?

To start my PhD in Bremen Germany. I always worked in planetary science just for passion, but now I can make a living from it.

6. Have you had a mentor or person that inspired you? How did they help you?

Yes, another Colombian geologist, Fabian Saavedra. He showed me that we can study other planets – my professor did not have any idea of how to do that. 

7. What are the main things you do each day?

Working in my PhD, advising students in Colombia, reading.

8. What do you like best about the work that you do and what do you like least?

What I most enjoy is looking at spatial data of planetary surfaces to understand its geology. I do not enjoy debugging code!

9. Do you have ambitions or things that you would like to do next?

I want to be a university professor in a Colombian university.

10. What advice would you give your 10-year-old self?

The Universe is big and full of wonders. No matter what happens do not lose your curiosity to learn from it!

Quick CV

  • Education
    • (2021-ongoing) PhD candidate in Planetary Science, Constructor University, Bremen, Germany.
    • (2015-2018) MSc in Geology, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá, Colombia.
    • (2010-2015) Geologist, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá, Colombia.
  • Work
    • (2021-ongoing) Researcher, Constructor University, Bremen, Germany.
    • (2019-2021) Occasional professor, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá, Colombia.

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EXPLORE has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 101004214.

EXPLORE Career Profiles: Albert Zijlstra

EXPLORE Career Profiles

Name: Albert Zijlstra
EXPLORE Project Role: Lead Developer of the EXPLORE Stellar Scientific Data Applications
Professional Role and Affiliation: Professor of Astrophysics, The University of Manchester, UK
Nationality: Dutch
Current location: Manchester, UK

1. What did you want to be when you were 10?

Undecided, I think! I was already very interested in astronomy, perhaps in part because of the Apollo landings but a future job was too far in the future. 

2. What was your favourite subject at school?

I studied mainly the sciences. Other topics were dropped as soon as it was allowed. It was required to study at least two languages for the final exams, but that was the only non-science I kept! 

3. What did you study at university? Why did you choose those topics and the places to study?

I went to the closest university, as the first one from the family to go there. I studied astrophysics. This largely follows the physics curriculum, so it was possible to do something I was really interested in without having to worry about employability.

4. How did you get your first job? How many jobs have you had since?

After my undergraduate degree, I was able to go the US on a junior research position, which became part of my PhD. I have worked in quite a few places, both academia and industry, involving 5 different continents.

5. What’s been the biggest piece of luck or ‘surprise twist’ you have had in your career to date?

I have never done career planning so all positions I have held have involved chance or ‘luck’. I worked in South Africa for a year and can say that I have seen Mandela in person on the day he was release. That was quite a year.

6. Have you had a mentor or person that inspired you? How did they help you?

I have learned from several supervisors and colleagues. There isn’t a single mentor but every time you move to a new place, you’ll find new ways and methods for doing science.  It is important to make use of those opportunities and not just keep doing the same things.

7. What are the main things you do each day?

Every day is different. There may be teaching to do, in large lectures, small groups or face to face. There are new papers to read on the latest research and of course there is my own research to work on, almost always in international collaborations. Every day is a learning experience.

8. What do you like best about the work that you do and what do you like least?

The work is great. The teaching is rewarding and the research is exciting. On the other hand, the work pressure can be very high and this has become worse since Covid. You have to be careful with your mental health.

9. Do you have ambitions or things that you would like to do next?

Not really. I will see what comes next!

10. What advice would you give your 10-year-old self?

Not to worry. Everyone is different and everyone has a place.  Just do what you are good at and enjoy!

Quick CV

  • Academic qualifications
    • PhD
  • Main or selected jobs to date:
    • Professor of Astrophysics, The University of Manchester
    • Visiting Professor, University of Hong Kong (2016-2022)
    • Director Jodrell Bank Centre for Astrophysics (2010-2015)
    • Lecturer/Reader, UMIST 
    • Astronomer, European Southern Observatory
    • Research Fellow, South Africa Astronomical Observatory
    • PhD student, Netherlands
    • Junior Research Fellow, National Radio Astronomy Observatory, USA
    • Desk Editor, Elsevier Science Publishers

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EXPLORE Career Profiles: Nick Cox

EXPLORE Career Profiles

Name: Nick Cox
EXPLORE Project Role: Project Manager
Professional Role and Affiliation: ACRI-ST, Research Engineer
Nationality: Dutch
Current location: Toulouse, France

1. What did you want to be when you were 10?

Already then, I was not very decided on what I wanted to be, and several professions caught my fancy,from being a chartered accountant (I liked numbers), an astronaut (the night sky was fascinating) to being a professional brick builder (the Danish kind of brick) ????.

2. What was your favourite subject at school?

I don’t think I had a single favourite subject in high-school. I liked chemistry because of the hands-on experiments but also mathematics and economics (especially how it tried to capture the real world in numbers and equations). I also liked drawing and (practical) design to nurture my creative mind.

3. What did you study at university? Why did you choose those topics and the places to study?

After much deliberation I decided, at the last minute, to study astrophysics in Utrecht (Netherlands). At the time the curriculum in Utrecht was quite broad with electives in astronomy, geophysics, oceanography, computing, experimental physics, and physical chemistry. I also thought it would be challenging and give me good career prospects. Out of curiosity I did a minor in chemistry, but finally I chose to stick with astrophysics for my master’s degree.

4. How did you get your first job? How many jobs have you had since?

My first real job, after doing some temp work, was as a junior researcher/doctoral candidate. I wasn’t particularly looking to do a doctoral thesis when I stumbled upon a vacancy for an interesting research project (astronomy with a pinch of chemistry!). Since then I’ve had several academic jobs in Europe (notably Spain, Belgium, and France) before joining the company I work at currently.

5. What’s been the biggest piece of luck or ‘surprise twist’ you have had in your career to date?

After my doctoral thesis I was looking to stay in the Netherlands, and I applied for a fellowship at ESA/ESTEC (Netherlands). I did not get accepted for that position but was offered instead a position at ESA/ESAC near Madrid, Spain. This unexpected twist started my adventures abroad.

6. Have you had a mentor or person that inspired you? How did they help you?

Many persons inspired me throughout my academic journey. I have had amazing supervisors for my doctoral project, but also for my other academic posts. I learned different things from each of them, all making me a better scientist, but also a better teacher, and hopefully a better project manager ????.

7. What are the main things you do each day?

I work mostly in the office, but I get to travel several times a year for project meetings or conferences (even though many meetings are now held online). Each day I typically spend some time to read and write emails, and do some admin. The larger part of the day I work on project tasks – with usually two or more projects running in parallel. Typical tasks are coding, data processing and analysis, writing and reviewing documents and articles, reading papers, preparing and holding meetings with colleagues, project partners and students.

8. What do you like best about the work that you do and what do you like least?

It is very gratifying to work on a code and, after many mistakes, make it work. I also like the travel part of the job, to see new cities and places, and meet colleagues/friends from all over the world. As a researcher / R&D engineer I’m continuously researching and learning new ideas and topics.

One of things that can be sometimes frustrating as a project manager is to need to chase people to answer questions or deliver inputs (but of course for the EXPLORE project this is never needed with all those amazing partners in the consortium ????).

9. Do you have ambitions or things that you would like to do next?

For EXPLORE one of our ambitions is to further exploit the science platform we developed and to improve and create new scientific apps. Also, I’d like to create a start-up someday.

10. What advice would you give your 10-year-old self?

Follow your heart, but don’t entirely ignore your brain, to learn and work on what you find most interesting. Don’t be afraid of change, dreams evolve with time.

Quick CV

  • MSc in physics & astrophysics
  • PhD in astrophysics (2006)
  • ESA Research Fellow at European Space Astronomy Centre (2007-2010)
  • Researcher for Herschel space mission at KU Leuven (2010-2014)
  • Researcher for the Nanocosmos project at University Paul Sabatier/CNRS (2015-2016)
  • Research & Development Engineer at ACRI-ST (2017-current)

More EXPLORE Career Profiles

Europlanet 2024 RI has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 871149.
Europlanet AISBL (Association Internationale Sans But Lucratif – 0800.634.634) is hosted by the Department of Planetary Atmospheres of the Royal Belgian Institute for Space Aeronomy (BIRA-IASB), Avenue Circulaire 3, B-1180 Brussels, Belgium.